How many miles is too many for a supercharger?

404NotFound

404NotFound

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My esteemed colleagues,

Lately I've been doing some growing up, and it got me thinking. I just had my first child, I'm back in school for mechanical engineering, still working full time while I can pull it off and balance school but that time seems to be closing in on its end.

My original plan was to sell some of my vehicles, including my 4R and get a 100 series. Bigger, proven reliable, and only one thing to maintain as oppose to my current 5. But, the wife claims she only wants the one kid, so stepping up in size doesn't feel necessary. I know the 100 is in a totally different league than a T4R, but our trucks are pretty dang tough and proven in their own right.

So then I thought, why not a lower mileage V8 Runner? I miss having a V8 and with my Cobra gone, at least I'd still have the nice noise to listen to. But timing belt vs chain, then thinking about how the 4.7 got phased out and replaced by the 4.6 and 5.7 while the 4.0 is still used to this day...It's obviously a proven motor. Note: I have nothing bad to say about the 4.7, I think it is an amazing motor. I'm really basing on production numbers.

Then I thought, well, why not keep mine and supercharge it? It would make comparable power and I wouldn't need to hassle with selling it, buying a V8 and maybe not having the paper trail to know how it was cared for. Whereas with mine, I know the oil is changed with synthetic every 5,000 miles, I know the fluids (sans trans) have all been drained and filled. I know the OME suspension is in good shape and it's been a Missouri/Oklahoma car all it's life so rust is minimal compared to a northern truck.

But at the end of the day, it does have 195,XXX miles. So the question is, how many miles is too many for a supercharger? I know they aren't built for 10 second 1/4 miles and that's not what I want. Just a little more pickup and go when merging, passing, towing, trailing, stuff like that. V8 feel with (hopefully) V6 MPGs.

What are your thoughts, Brain Trust?
 
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I thought of this at one point in time already because I am at the same mileage. If I was to force induction one of our motors with 200k on it, I would absolutely have concerns.

In an ideal world, I would want low mileage, or the motor rebuilt and upgraded to better handle FI and or more boost.

I went through the pricing exercise a couple times… but after getting a chance to drive in a Supercharged 4.0 V6, I was a bit underwhelmed with what it was delivering, especially for the price.

It’s the first-hand experience with it that literally helped me get over the idea of a supercharger.

For the money spent, I am better off selling and getting something else like a V8 Runner or GX. At least that seems like a better use of funds.
 
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Bumbo said:
I thought of this at one point of time already because I am at the same mileage. If I was to force induction one of our motors with 200k on it, I would have absolutely have concerns.

In an ideal world, I would want low mileage, or the motor rebuilt and upgraded to better handle FI and or more boost.

I went through the pricing exercise a couple times… but after getting a chance to drive in a Supercharged 4.0 V6, I was a bit underwhelmed with what it was delivering, especially for the price.

It’s the first-hand experience with it that literally helped me get over the idea of a supercharger.

For the money spent, I am better off selling and getting something else like a V8 Runner or GX. At least that seems like a better use of funds.
Click to expand...

This is precisely the type of advice I needed. Thank you so much.
 
The V8 kit only adds 5.5 psi of boost, don't downshift hard all the time and the tranny should hold up.

I wouldn't be too worried about it if you aren't beating on it hard all the time.
 
404NotFound said:
My esteemed colleagues,

Lately I've been doing some growing up, and it got me thinking. I just had my first child, I'm back in school for mechanical engineering, still working full time while I can pull it off and balance school but that time seems to be closing in on its end.

My original plan was to sell some of my vehicles, including my 4R and get a 100 series. Bigger, proven reliable, and only one thing to maintain as oppose to my current 5. But, the wife claims she only wants the one kid, so stepping up in size doesn't feel necessary. I know the 100 is in a totally different league than a T4R, but our trucks are pretty dang tough and proven in their own right.

So then I thought, why not a lower mileage V8 Runner? I miss having a V8 and with my Cobra gone, at least I'd still have the nice noise to listen to. But timing belt vs chain, then thinking about how the 4.7 got phased out and replaced by the 4.6 and 5.7 while the 4.0 is still used to this day...It's obviously a proven motor. Note: I have nothing bad to say about the 4.7, I think it is an amazing motor. I'm really basing on production numbers.

Then I thought, well, why not keep mine and supercharge it? It would make comparable power and I wouldn't need to hassle with selling it, buying a V8 and maybe not having the paper trail to know how it was cared for. Whereas with mine, I know the oil is changed with synthetic every 5,000 miles, I know the fluids (sans trans) have all been drained and filled. I know the OME suspension is in good shape and it's been a Missouri/Oklahoma car all it's life so rust is minimal compared to a northern truck.

But at the end of the day, it does have 195,XXX miles. So the question is, how many miles is too many for a supercharger? I know they aren't built for 10 second 1/4 miles and that's not what I want. Just a little more pickup and go when merging, passing, towing, trailing, stuff like that. V8 feel with (hopefully) V6 MPGs.

What are your thoughts, Brain Trust?
Click to expand...

mileage wise(and based on your proper maintenance), its probably not TOO much. but what is the price to set that up with an SC?
id think you would be way ahead financially to just sell it and get a v8.
 
nevada said:
mileage wise(and based on your proper maintenance), its probably not TOO much. but what is the price to set that up with an SC?
id think you would be way ahead financially to just sell it and get a v8.
Click to expand...

Unless you are doing the work yourself, you could buy a used V8 4Runner for the cost of the SC & labor.

I even asked Toyota about a turn-key dealer installed and warrantied SC and they came in at about 13k parts and labor.
 
Bumbo said:
Unless you are doing the work yourself, you could buy a used V8 4Runner for the cost of the SC & labor.

I even asked Toyota about a turn-key dealer installed and warrantied SC and they came in at about 13k parts and labor.
Click to expand...

yep, that's what I was thinking.

if your rig is highly modified, adding the SC could be a better choice.
 
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I guess if I were to supercharge a 4th gen, there wouldn't be much of a point to supercharge a V6 unless you go all-out with pulleys and everything and get more than 100hp gains. If I were to just bolt it on with low boost levels I would much rather do it to a V8. Add headers/exhaust and it would be a sick vehicle even if everything else was stock.
 
fordracing19 said:
Have v8. It needs a supercharger too.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

While, I’d love to have one just because, I wouldn’t say it actually “needs” it. I suppose maybe in stock form, but with a few mods, I feel that my 4Runner does everything I need it to, especially for such a heavy vehicle that wasn’t designed as a muscle car. I was fortunate to have bought it with Thorley headers already installed, and an AFE dry filter. I added the TRD dual exhaust once my muffler broke (used that as an excuse to upgrade). That gave it the throaty sound it was missing. Then I started reading threads about the Sprint Booster, and was very skeptical, especially because it seemed very pricey for a mod that doesn’t actually add hp/torque. I’m glad I rolled the dice and tried it, because that pulled everything together and took away any sluggishness that the truck had. Now it is very fun to drive, and performs as a V8 should. Does it pull like my 625 RWHP Terminator Cobra, of course not, but for a heavy 4x4 SUV, it’s nothing to sneeze at. I’ve personally owned ONLY V8 cars my entire life (turned 50 this year), with the exception of my Miata, which I bought because it’s just super handling, fun car, so I’m speaking from experience here.

To the OP... if your truck is as well maintained as you say, I see no reason not to supercharge it, other than the fact that you won’t get your investment back if you sell the truck. If you plan to keep it until it dies, and you can afford the mod, then I’d do it rather than rolling the dice with another used vehicle of unknown use and maintenance just to get a V8. At the end of the day, you will be spending $6-$7k (if doing the install yourself), so only YOU can decide if it’s worthwhile, knowing that it will not increase the value of the vehicle AND may in fact shorten its life if you drive it harder because of the added power. If I were you, I’d spend a couple of hundred and try out the Sprint Booster for now just to change the feel of the truck. It’s not going to feel like forced induction, but it definitely makes the truck feel faster and more spirited.
 
Terminator03 said:
While, I’d love to have one just because, I wouldn’t say it actually “needs” it. I suppose maybe in stock form, but with a few mods, I feel that my 4Runner does everything I need it to, especially for such a heavy vehicle that wasn’t designed as a muscle car. I was fortunate to have bought it with Thorley headers already installed, and an AFE dry filter. I added the TRD dual exhaust once my muffler broke (used that as an excuse to upgrade). That gave it the throaty sound it was missing. Then I started reading threads about the Sprint Booster, and was very skeptical, especially because it seemed very pricey for a mod that doesn’t actually add hp/torque. I’m glad I rolled the dice and tried it, because that pulled everything together and took away any sluggishness that the truck had. Now it is very fun to drive, and performs as a V8 should. Does it pull like my 625 RWHP Terminator Cobra, of course not, but for a heavy 4x4 SUV, it’s nothing to sneeze at. I’ve personally owned ONLY V8 cars my entire life (turned 50 this year), with the exception of my Miata, which I bought because it’s just super handling, fun car, so I’m speaking from experience here.

To the OP... if your truck is as well maintained as you say, I see no reason not to supercharge it, other than the fact that you won’t get your investment back if you sell the truck. If you plan to keep it until it dies, and you can afford the mod, then I’d do it rather than rolling the dice with another used vehicle of unknown use and maintenance just to get a V8. At the end of the day, you will be spending $6-$7k (if doing the install yourself), so only YOU can decide if it’s worthwhile, knowing that it will not increase the value of the vehicle AND may in fact shorten its life if you drive it harder because of the added power. If I were you, I’d spend a couple of hundred and try out the Sprint Booster for now just to change the feel of the truck. It’s not going to feel like forced induction, but it definitely makes the truck feel faster and more spirited.
Click to expand...

I can't imagine a sprint booster and supercharger/headers.
 
Terminator03 said:
While, I’d love to have one just because, I wouldn’t say it actually “needs” it. I suppose maybe in stock form, but with a few mods, I feel that my 4Runner does everything I need it to, especially for such a heavy vehicle that wasn’t designed as a muscle car. I was fortunate to have bought it with Thorley headers already installed, and an AFE dry filter. I added the TRD dual exhaust once my muffler broke (used that as an excuse to upgrade). That gave it the throaty sound it was missing. Then I started reading threads about the Sprint Booster, and was very skeptical, especially because it seemed very pricey for a mod that doesn’t actually add hp/torque. I’m glad I rolled the dice and tried it, because that pulled everything together and took away any sluggishness that the truck had. Now it is very fun to drive, and performs as a V8 should. Does it pull like my 625 RWHP Terminator Cobra, of course not, but for a heavy 4x4 SUV, it’s nothing to sneeze at. I’ve personally owned ONLY V8 cars my entire life (turned 50 this year), with the exception of my Miata, which I bought because it’s just super handling, fun car, so I’m speaking from experience here.

To the OP... if your truck is as well maintained as you say, I see no reason not to supercharge it, other than the fact that you won’t get your investment back if you sell the truck. If you plan to keep it until it dies, and you can afford the mod, then I’d do it rather than rolling the dice with another used vehicle of unknown use and maintenance just to get a V8. At the end of the day, you will be spending $6-$7k (if doing the install yourself), so only YOU can decide if it’s worthwhile, knowing that it will not increase the value of the vehicle AND may in fact shorten its life if you drive it harder because of the added power. If I were you, I’d spend a couple of hundred and try out the Sprint Booster for now just to change the feel of the truck. It’s not going to feel like forced induction, but it definitely makes the truck feel faster and more spirited.
Click to expand...

Firstly I have to say, if I had a Terminator like yours I wouldn't be selling my Cobra for sure! But I have the 01 with an aluminum block that is so expensive to mod it's not worth it. Also, should have done a monster Miata conversion haha.

What is a "Spirit Booster"?
 
To the OP... if your truck is as well maintained as you say said:
feel[/I] faster and more spirited.
Click to expand...

On this note, my dad is a 3rd gen owner on here who just recently rolled 308k miles. He and I have joked about having a competition to see who's T4R can get the most miles on it before it dies. So, unless I replaced it with one of the vehicles I previously mentioned in my opening post, I'm likely to keep it until it perishes.
 
Can not beat the V8

[MENTION=125308]404NotFound[/MENTION]

Currently I own and drive '03 Sport V8 and the '04 Sport V8 TRD Supercharged. My son is driving the '03 SR5, and my father has an '07 Limited V8. I love the V8's! They are smooth, get good mileage and worth it. The 4.7 started life in the Lexus sedans and Toyota brought into the 4Runner when Ford added the V8 to their Explorer in addition to its own 4.0 V6. Toyota updated the engine to a 4.6, in the Lexus and dropped it from the 4Runner I think because there wasn’t any competing brands that offered a V8 either. Maybe it had to do with fleet gas mileage standards. The Tundra’s increased to a 5.7 again to be in line with the other pickup brands and their bigger V8's.

Living in Oklahoma, unless you plan on off-roading, I wouldn't even be afraid of getting the 2WD. I put lots of miles on my #1 on the winter roads here and my son has taken the SR5 skiing in Colorado a few times without any trouble. Lots of 2WD to choose form in OK too. But even a few 4WD are worth the money like this one owner: https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/cto/d/2003-toyota-4runner-sr5-sport/6736870368.html

My advice is don't be afraid of the timing belt. Don't be afraid of the engine not being in production any longer. The only thing I know that can ruin the 4.7 is lack of maintenance. Sure everyone talks about the air pump and the exhaust manifold cracking, but that’s better than the head gaskets on the V6 in my opinion. I’ve never had the cracked exhaust, I think it has more to do with off-roading. Cut the resonator off too, no V6 will ever sound like a V8 either.
 
V8Man said:
[MENTION=125308]404NotFound[/MENTION]

Currently I own and drive '03 Sport V8 and the '04 Sport V8 TRD Supercharged. My son is driving the '03 SR5, and my father has an '07 Limited V8. I love the V8's! They are smooth, get good mileage and worth it. The 4.7 started life in the Lexus sedans and Toyota brought into the 4Runner when Ford added the V8 to their Explorer in addition to its own 4.0 V6. Toyota updated the engine to a 4.6, in the Lexus and dropped it from the 4Runner I think because there wasn’t any competing brands that offered a V8 either. Maybe it had to do with fleet gas mileage standards. The Tundra’s increased to a 5.7 again to be in line with the other pickup brands and their bigger V8's.

Living in Oklahoma, unless you plan on off-roading, I wouldn't even be afraid of getting the 2WD. I put lots of miles on my #1 on the winter roads here and my son has taken the SR5 skiing in Colorado a few times without any trouble. Lots of 2WD to choose form in OK too. But even a few 4WD are worth the money like this one owner: https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/cto/d/2003-toyota-4runner-sr5-sport/6736870368.html

My advice is don't be afraid of the timing belt. Don't be afraid of the engine not being in production any longer. The only thing I know that can ruin the 4.7 is lack of maintenance. Sure everyone talks about the air pump and the exhaust manifold cracking, but that’s better than the head gaskets on the V6 in my opinion. I’ve never had the cracked exhaust, I think it has more to do with off-roading. Cut the resonator off too, no V6 will ever sound like a V8 either.
Click to expand...

You make some excellent points. Plus, at the end of the day, my almost 200,000 mile 4Runner has given me less issues and worry than any other vehicle I've owned. All my Fords have had issues, and I had a Jeep JK for about a year.
 
404NotFound said:
Firstly I have to say, if I had a Terminator like yours I wouldn't be selling my Cobra for sure! But I have the 01 with an aluminum block that is so expensive to mod it's not worth it. Also, should have done a monster Miata conversion haha.

What is a "Spirit Booster"?
Click to expand...

It’s a Sprint Booster, not “spirit”, lol. There is a thread in this section about it being on sale from Jason Burtman. That is who I bought mine from. In essence, it is a small electronic device that plugs into the harness that attaches to the electronic gas pedal that we have. The factory calibration makes these trucks feel way more sluggish, especially off the line than they should for the power they have. This is the only drive by wire vehicle I have ever owned so I was not aware of it actually being a problem until I installed it and started experimenting with the different settings. Let’s just say I’ve spent thousands on mods in the past that didn’t make as much difference as this simple 10 minute install, that cost under $300.

Yes, I’ve definitely considered building my Miata into a V8 monster, since it would be very similar to the concept of the ‘65 Cobra, which I’ve also built and owned a few years back (FFR replica). If I ever sell the Terminator, I’ll more than likely mod the Miata, but it’s a very low mileage 2000SE, which I acquired from the original owner’s wife after he passed. At this point, I just enjoy it as a fun canyon carver, and convertible that I can enjoy without worrying as I do when I drive the Terminator. That car, also a convertible, is a 10th Anniversary model in black, and absolutely flawless, with just 17k miles on it! When I take it anywhere, I tend not to enjoy myself as much because I’m always paranoid some careless soccer mom will swing a door open in a parking lot, or something. It’s highly modified, but done very carefully with all stock pieces put in storage so I can return it to stock if I ever wanted to, since it’s more valuable that way for some reason. The only part I can’t “un-mod” is the full length Hans Racecraft trussed subframe connectors, which are welded in, but honestly those make it a far better, more structurally sound car, so I’m not sure they would detract from anyone wanting a stock car anyway. My wife has been nagging me to sell it for the past year or two, mainly because it mostly sits in the garage. When I actually have time to cruise in one of them, it’s usually the Miata since I can still have the top down experience without the worries. As impractical as the Terminator is for me to have these days, I just can’t bring myself to sell it because I know I could never replace it, even if money was no object.
 
Terminator03 said:
It’s a Sprint Booster, not “spirit”, lol. There is a thread in this section about it being on sale from Jason Burtman. That is who I bought mine from. In essence, it is a small electronic device that plugs into the harness that attaches to the electronic gas pedal that we have. The factory calibration makes these trucks feel way more sluggish, especially off the line than they should for the power they have. This is the only drive by wire vehicle I have ever owned so I was not aware of it actually being a problem until I installed it and started experimenting with the different settings. Let’s just say I’ve spent thousands on mods in the past that didn’t make as much difference as this simple 10 minute install, that cost under $300.

Yes, I’ve definitely considered building my Miata into a V8 monster, since it would be very similar to the concept of the ‘65 Cobra, which I’ve also built and owned a few years back (FFR replica). If I ever sell the Terminator, I’ll more than likely mod the Miata, but it’s a very low mileage 2000SE, which I acquired from the original owner’s wife after he passed. At this point, I just enjoy it as a fun canyon carver, and convertible that I can enjoy without worrying as I do when I drive the Terminator. That car, also a convertible, is a 10th Anniversary model in black, and absolutely flawless, with just 17k miles on it! When I take it anywhere, I tend not to enjoy myself as much because I’m always paranoid some careless soccer mom will swing a door open in a parking lot, or something. It’s highly modified, but done very carefully with all stock pieces put in storage so I can return it to stock if I ever wanted to, since it’s more valuable that way for some reason. The only part I can’t “un-mod” is the full length Hans Racecraft trussed subframe connectors, which are welded in, but honestly those make it a far better, more structurally sound car, so I’m not sure they would detract from anyone wanting a stock car anyway. My wife has been nagging me to sell it for the past year or two, mainly because it mostly sits in the garage. When I actually have time to cruise in one of them, it’s usually the Miata since I can still have the top down experience without the worries. As impractical as the Terminator is for me to have these days, I just can’t bring myself to sell it because I know I could never replace it, even if money was no object.
Click to expand...

Ok, I will definitely look into a sprint booster. I've got tunes on basically everything but the Toyota, so I am definitely a fan.

17k mile 10th anniversary edition... oh man I LOVE the red inserts on the seats of the 10thAE. That S/C with the T56..I bet that thing is a blast to drive. I can only imagine the worry you feel though like you said about soccer moms. My butt would be puckering and not just from the horsepower.
 
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